For tourism and hospitality businesses affected by the December 26 quake and tsunami tragedy, David Beirman, author of Restoring Tourism Destinations in Crisis, has prepared bullet points on the various aspects of dealing with the aftermath of a crisis.

For tourism and hospitality businesses affected by the 26 December, 2004 Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunamis which hit Indian Ocean coastal Nations.

1. TOP PRIORITY ISSUES: ALL TOURISM RELATED BUSINESSES
   • Contact of victim families and relevant authorities.
   • Rescue, treatment, rehabilitation, repatriation and registration of victims.
   • Emergency provision of shelter , food, outward transportation.
   • Informing families, stakeholders, relevant government authorities, consular authorities and relevant media of situation affecting victims.
   • Communicate with relevant tour operators and travel agents.



2. COUNTING THE FINANCIAL COST
   • Establish how many billions of $ this disaster has cost each destination: The Macro picture.
   • Jobs-infrastructure-revenue loss.
   • Direct costs for tourism businesses and costs for related businesses.
   • Breakdown of costs per region.
   • Breakdown of costs per enterprise . eg. Hotel, resort, restaurant, attraction.
   • Contact regional and national tourist authorities to expedite data for aid and rehabilitation purposes.



3. CHECK LIST FOR HOTELS AND RESORTS IMMEDIATE PRIORITY ISSUES
   • Location and condition of all registered guests and staff.
   • Damage assessment and costing
   • Establish a centralized crisis communications team, base of operations, central point of contact and spekesperson.
   • Issue update statements to all relevant stakeholders as soon as practicable.
   • Make use of web site (if operable) as a prime communications tool.



4. PRIMARY STAKEHOLDERS HOTELS AND RESORTS
   • Guests, staff and their next of kin.
   • Booking agents and wholesale tour operators (where relevant)
   • Local and regional tourism authorities. Foreign legations in cases where guests are foreigners.
   • Regional and head offices of your chain (if applicable).
   • Regional and national tourist authorities.
   • Emergency and rescue authorities.



5. INITIAL MESSAGES TO KEY STAKEHOLDERS
   • Casualty reports. Next of kin to be informed first.
   • Damage and cost assessment.
   • Check list of what is an is not operable.
   • Actions been taken to guarantee the safety of guests and staff. Emergency arrangements made including relocation of guests.
   • Communicating the above to stakeholders.



6. CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS WITH MEDIA
   • Ideally one channel/spokesperson managing communications with media.
   • Establish an agreed and consistent line amongst all management and staff.
   • Maintain honesty and Accuracy.
   • Avoid blame and recriminations.
   • Keep an updated web site.
   • Control all interviews in terms of timing and information released.
   • Cooperate closely with national and regional tourism authorities.



7. TIMING THE COMMENCEMENT OF RECOVERY MARKETING
   • During the crisis period suspend marketing of areas directly affected by earthquake and tsunami damage.
   • Marketing of unaffected areas should continue and undamaged areas need to be clearly identified.
   • CLEARLY ISOLATE THE CRISIS AREA
   • The timing of re-marketing affected areas will be dependent on stablization of the situation. Primary sensitivity for victims and the local community.
   • When affected regions are ready to receive tourists then PROMOTE.



8. POINTERS FOR TOUR OPERATORS, AIRLINES, WHOLESALERS AND TRAVEL AGENTS
   • Maximise flexibility on cancellation and change policies.
   • Offer alternative destinations for clients booked to disaster zone post 26 Dec 2004.
   • Cooperation between all principals, especially hoteliers, ground operators, wholesalers and airlines for travellers booked to affected regions.
   • Set a realistic and ethical time limit for above concessions.
   • Clearly communicate the above.

RECOVERY MARKETING

1. STEP 1:
   PRIME MESSAGES.
   • We are open for business.
   • Tourists are welcome and wanted.
   • Incentives for visitation. value-adding preferable to discounting.
   • Solidarity messages (see next page)
   • Principals need to form a working alliance to spread the benefit of return tourism across the tourism industry.



2. STEP 1 (CONT):
   SOLIDARITY MARKETING
   Suggested Slidarity Messages:
   
   1. If you really care about our destination and its people- then visit.
   2. Your enjoyment of our destination will be tangible support for our recovery.
   3. We were a beautiful place to visit before the earthquake and your visit will ensure we remain a beautiful place to visit in the future.
   4. Your visit will help us more than your sympathy and you can be assured of a warm welcome.
   5. If you come and visit we'll be able to show you how happy we are you've come.



3. STEP 2:
   SETTING OUT THE FACTS
   1. Our destination / hotel/ tour /attraction/flights are operating.
   2. Explain what clients can do / what's open and operating.
   3. Outline restrictions, closures and limitations.
   4. Benefits to visiting and using our services now.
   5. Outline improvements, and changes.



4. STEP 3:
   Complementary alliances with principals.
   • Joint arrangements with hoteliers, resorts, restaurants, tourism attractions, land tours and operators, air links and land transport.
   • Joint or "club advertising" and promotion.
   • Value added arrangements in concert between related principals. e.g. guests at hotel X are offered 2 for 1 admission to attraction Y.
   • Joint ventures between tourist authorities and principals. e.g Local/ regional Tourist authority may issue vouchers with benefits for visitors to the region.



5. STEP 4:
   Restoring Confidence in Principal Source Markets
   • Travel agents and travel writers familiarization trips. Choose opinion leaders in each case. Be selective.
   • Seek eye witness testimonials from opinion leaders in key source markets.
   • Ensure travel industry stakeholders are kep fully informed of positive developments.
   • Keep the door open to those who may have previously cancelled because of safety concerns.
   • Ensure your representatives in key source markets are full updated and informed of developments affecting your business.



6. STEP 5:
   ALLIANCE MARKETING MODELS WHICH APPLY TO THE INDIAN OCEAN DISASTER.
   MESSAGE: YOU WILL RECOVER !!!!!!!!!!!!
   1. TAG (Tourism Action Group) Fiji which has expedited tourism recovery to after the coup and coup attempt of 1987 and 2000 and many cyclonic events.
   2. Turkey: Post Izmit earthquake 1999. Tourism recovered in 6 months despite destructive quake which claimed 17,000 lives.
   3. "Project Phoenix" Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Post SARS recovery for SE Asia in 2003. A great success. PATA is actively involved in assisting The tourism industry of all affected areas In the Indian Ocean disaster.



7. STEP 6:
   PROTECTING YOUR PROFITS OR MINIMISING YOUR LOSSES DURING MARKETING RECOVERY PHASE.
   
   This disaster and recovery will cost billions of dollars, therefore avoid strategies which will destroy the viability of your business.
   
   1. Offer incentives which will enable you tomsustain profitability.
   2. Value add in preference to discounting. A free breakfast costs you less than a 10% discount but is a tangible benefit to a guest/client.
   3. Offer incentives in conjunction with industry partners. E.g. Guest staying at hotel A may receive benefits from attraction B , tour C and attraction D. Related benefits directs business to all partners.



8. STEP 7:
   RE-IMAGING YOUR BUSINESS AND THE DESTINATION.
   1. A crisis presents an opportunity to put a new face to your enterprise.
   2. Re-vamp all your advertising and imagining.
   3. Focus on the future.
   4. Focus on the benefits for travellers to visit now.
   5. Highlight features and benefits you may have ignored or under-emphasised in the past.



9. STEP 8:
   INCENTIVES WHICH ATTRACT TOURISTS
   1. Value-added product. Packages packed with extra product. Inclusions of meals, sightseeing, entry to specific attractions.
   2. A thank you for coming gift.
   3. Special welcome.
   4. Recognition and memento for having visited.



10. STEP 9:
    PUBLICIZE THE POSITIVES
    1. Special guests and arrivals , esp. celebrities.
    2. Positive developments including resurgence of tourism arrivals, rebuilding progress in affected destination.
    3. Testimonials from tourists and "name visitors".
    4. Statements from visitors which say they visit exceeded expectations.
    5. Visuals of visitors enjoying their visit. Ensure they are widely disseminated.



11. STEP 10:
    REPORTING AND MONITORING PROGRESS:
    1. THEN AND NOW: Comparing the destination and your business at the time of the diaster to that of the advanced recovery stage.
    2. Publicising changes and advancements made at regular intervals.
    3. Conducting, commissioning and making use of market research amongst visitors, prospective visitors and travel industry partners.
    4. Promoting to stakeholders and media how tourism has revitalized a destination from devastation to recovery.

YOUR ALLIES AT HOME AND ABROAD

• National Tourist Offices and tourism Ministries.
• Regional and local tourist authorities.
• Your national carrier and international carriers which service your destination.
• Pacific Asia Travel Association.
• IATA International Air Transport Association.
• GDS Services (especially ABACUS/Sabre) which primarily services Asia.
• Travel industry media local, national, global.